International Box Office UPDATED: ‘Frozen’ Crosses $800M Worldwide; ‘I, Frankenstein’ Strong In Russia; Battle Underway In China For No. 1
UPDATED, MONDAY 3:55 PM: International numbers are flowing in and will be updated as they arrive in the below market by market breakouts. The Wolf Of Wall Street continues to show its teeth, grossing $17.4M in eight markets holding the No. 1 spots in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Australia and Switzerland. Norway will be the next (and final) release date on Friday, January 31 for UPI, but the picture is expected in other markets with other distribs. Just to update on Universal’s 47 Ronin: The mega-budgeted pic which is playing strong in Russia, has now cumed $83.7M internationally and $38M domestically for a worldwide total of $121.7M. It has 14 more markets to play, most notably Germany. Frozen is over $813M now globally and The Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug added another $5.7M this weekend for worldwide box office of total of $947.6M ($595.3M internationally). Paramount’s numbers have not arrived on Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, but Universal’s Despicable Me numbers have been revised upwards to $5.2M in China in 4,500 runs for a total of $43.5M. It’s still too close to call to see who will be No. 1 in this all-important territory but the numbers should arrive from China tomorrow.
UPDATED, SUNDAY 7:30 PM: The international box office is off about 50% from last year when Django Unchained ruled and the latest in the 007 franchise, Skyfall was still bonding with audiences and had just opened in China where it had to satisfy censors before its run. The drop is surprising given that The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug and Disney’s Frozen are still burning up international markets. Hobbit is in 60 territories and has a total intl. cume of $595.3M, adding another $5.7M from about 3,600 runs this weekend for Warner Bros. Both have yet to open in China so expect that 50% will likely start to evaporate quickly. Frozen is the big story as nothing can stop this animated pic either internationally or domestically (for more details see below). One of the nicer surprises is how well The Book Thief continues to play around the world for Fox. In 23 markets, it has taken in $17.4M globally, earning another $3.8M this weekend. It’s only opened in 5 of the top 15 markets so far and continues to hold strong in such territories as Australia and Spain. Click through for full market to market breakdown.
NOTEWORTHY: Interesting that Ride Along, the two-time weekend champ of the domestic box office, opened internationally this weekend in five territories – UAE and others in the Middle East (Lebanon where it opened strong), Romania, and Trinidad, where it had the biggest opening ever for a live-action picture in that market with $105K to add to its total of $1.1M in all markets.
PREVIOUSLY, SUNDAY 11:40 AM: Frozen now represents 89% of the international marketplace, posting $23M in its ninth weekend in 52 territories. The animated wonder just became the 10th title to pass the $800M mark worldwide for Disney in international markets and becomes the second-highest grossing original (non-sequel) animated release of all time behind the studio’s own Finding Nemo. The story about unconditional love and fierce family loyalty is at $810M+ worldwide, surpassing Disney’s wildly successful The Lion King for the No. 2 spot. If it continues on its run — and it still playing around the world and has yet to open in China — it will do similar numbers (some at Disney are thinking $1B). The Lion King, which debuted in 1994, grossed $987.4M (that was with two re-issues). Frozen, which opened last week in Korea to the highest opening ever for a Disney Studios ani title, is now the biggest grosser ever for a Disney Studios ani title in that territory. And, Disney notes, that the Chinese New Year is still to come. Frozen opens in China in two weeks. Speaking of China, there seems to be some discrepancy as to what pic is No. 1 there. Universal is saying that it has it with another $5M for its animation box office monster Despicable Me: 2 while Paramount is stating that it’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit has grossed $5.5M. DM2 will cross $600M sometime this week and has a worldwide gross of $964.7M. Who will have bragging rights in China will be determined tomorrow when the actuals arrive. In the meantime,with a Russian villian (Kenneth Branagh) in Shadow Recruit, the picture opened strong last weekend in Russia, but slipped 75% in its second weekend. Still, Shadow Recruit already has an international cume of $46.5M after bringing in another $14.3M in 41 territories. The big story in Russia is I, Frankenstein, which (despite a lackluster U.S. opening) has done extremely well there earning $6.4M from 1,829 screens to stand head and shoulders above the pack for No. 1. Fox is releasing there on behalf of A-Company. Also, Fox’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is in its 5th week at No. 1 in Taiwan; it earned $4.4M in 52 markets this weekend for an international cume of $113.4M to date. It has yet to open in Japan. The recast Hispanic version of Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones just crossed the $50M mark, while The Wolf of Wall Street is holding strong in key European territories where it remains No. 1: Germany, the UK, Spain and Ireland. Not to be outdone, American Hustle has crossed $50M to date and has out-grossed Silver Linings Playbook to become the highest David O. Russell film in the UK with more than $18M in its pocket; it has yet to open in several major markets including Spain, Japan, France, Germany and Russia but will be doing so over the next three weeks. Yet another Oscar Best Picture hopeful, 12 Years a Slave opened in 10 new markets to pull in $9.6M and opened No. 1 in France for 304K on 207 runs. It has a total cume to date of $37.3M internationally to add to its $80.5M worldwide. It opens in Australia next on Thursday. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire took in another $1M internationally to bring its worldwide cume up to $438.1M.
CHINA: There is some question of who will take the No. 1 spot in China this weekend with Paramount’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit having dropped only 40% in its second weekend here for an estimated $5.5M take (down from $9.5M in its first opening No 1. weekend). Universal Pictures International Despicable Me 2 reports $5M but still claims that they have taken hold of the No. 1 spot. Regardless, DM2 has an impressive 17-day total in the country of $43.2M and just passed The Smurfs to become the 4th highest grossing animated film of all time. It’s international cume is $596.7M and it will cross the $600M market in the next few days. Shadow Recruit has made about $14.3M from 41 territories so far. Last week, the Kevin-Costner/Chris Pine starrer went date-to-date in China as it bowed domestically to less than stellar numbers, but continues to play strong overseas. The Chinese New Year is next weekend and what is known as the Spring Festival holiday which is a heavy attendance weekend in China so you have many local titles getting ready to bow. Chief among them is The Monkey King, which stars Donnie Yen and Chow Yun Fat based on the novel Journey to the West. Last year, another movie based on the same story – a fantasy about a monkey born from the heavens that acquires supernatural powers and travels with a monk to bring Buddhism to China – dominated the Chinese marketplace. In fact, Stephen Chow’s Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons grossed over $2o0M. The story of the Monkey King, it is said, is as beloved as The Wizard of Oz in this country. Stephen Chow’s Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons. Other Chinese New Year titles to watch are Dad, Where Are We Going? based on the popular reality TV show and Wang Jin’s The Man From Macau.
UK: Oscar nominated films are enjoying great holdover weekends in the UK. The first, The Wolf Of Wall Street, which opened No. 1 in the UK and Ireland last week, is holding strong in the territories at No. 1 with another $5.9M on 500 runs to bring its 10-day gross to $17.7M. It beat the opening of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit here and continues dominate the UK box office with a 26% market share. Wolf is playing in nine European territories (UPI is handling eight of them). The total cume in the UPI territories is $52.9M. Shadow Recruit, however, delivered $2.1M in 442 locations. 12 Years a Slave is enjoying a another strong weekend in the UK, holding well right behind Wolf with a total take of $3.6M from 484 screens in its third weekend in release there. It’s total there is $18.1M. Opening in 10 more markets, 12 years has brought in a total of $8.3M this past weekend to raise its international gross to $36M. (It is currently in 29 territories). The UK remains the number one market for Frozen to date with a total $57.7M haul.
GERMANY: Wolf of Wall Street held at No. 1 again this weekend to take in $5.4M on 597 runs for a total cume in this market of $14.M but the big holdover player here has been The Physician aka Der Medicus , an adventure drama directed by Philipp Stölzl with an international cast of Stellan Skarsgaard, Ben Kingsley and Olivier Martinez. Universal is handling both pics to take a whopping 39% of the market share here. The Physician, the top film of the year in Germany to date, is still No. 2 in its fifth week of release and this weekend tallied up another $2.3M on 741 runs for a 33-day total of $35.5M. Total cume in all territories is $40.7M. Meanwhile, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones dropped 50% from a week earlier for a total overall cume of $5.4M but it has taken in a respectable $50.5M in 41 markets. Germany continues to be the top market for The Hobbit with an $84.3M cume here. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues opens next weekend here as does 47 Ronin, which will also open in Austria, Switzerland (see Russia below for more on 47 Ronin). Anchorman 2 has no new openings. In its second week, 12 Years a Slave made 881K for a total take of $2M.
FRANCE: Fox’s Oscar Contender for Best Picture 12 Years a Slave is not only playing well in the UK, it opened to No. 1 this weekend in France, taking in $304K from 207 screens. The Wind Rises, the last animated film from legendary filmmaker Hayo Miyazaki before he retires, opened in the No. 2 spot with $202K. Among local films, SND’s Yves Saint Laurent, the Jalil Lespert-directed biopic about the fashion designer, is in the third spot and has taken in $1M since its release two weeks ago. Fox’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is receiving most of its box office this weekend from France with $693K from 364 plays for a very strong total gross of $7.8M.
ITALY: Wolf of Wall Street debuted to No. 1 with a $5.2M. Fox’s 3D family film Walking with Dinosaurs opened very strong to take in $2.1M on 566 screens in No. 2. The film, which had a lackluster domestic run, has taken in $10.1M from non-Fox markets in addition to the $4.4M it took in this weekend to push its cume to $79.1M. Also in Italy, in its second weekend, the Ridley Scott-directed crime drama The Counselor which stars Oscar-nominated Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz, grossed another 884K on 378 runs to help bring its overall international cume to $53.3M.
SPAIN: In Spain The Wolf of Wall Street held onto the No. 1 spot in Spain over the weekend, taking in another $2.9M on 300 runs and was noteworthy in that it was the lowest drop-off of the Top 10. It’s 10 day total is now $7.9M. Next in line was The Book Thief which is still No. 2 in Spain after opening three weeks ago, taking in another $816K from 305 screens. It had opened to No. 1 when it initially bowed and has cumed $4M to date. The Legend of Hercules bowed here this weekend to $807K in 219 play dates for the third spot. August: Osage County is in its third week of release grabbed the fourth position and now has a cume of $2.9M. Rounding out the top five is The Physician (Der Medicus). In sixth is 12 Years a Slave which has done $5.5M in seven weeks of release.
RUSSIA: I, Frankenstein from Fox is No. 1, with a $6.3M weekend on 1,846 screens. That’s good news for the pic as its domestic take this weekend looks to be a a mere $8.3M. Also opening strong was Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa which grabbed $2.1M in 450 runs. The opening is said to be in line with Jackass 3D. The comedy has cumed $47M to date. 47 Ronin is continuing a strong run here holding into the top 10 for a total cume in this market of $25.8M in 25 days. That is a big chunk of its total $83.7M international cume. All told, Ronin is in 46 territories and in 2,185 plays. It took in $2.6M this weekend on all. Devil’s Due will bow next weekend.
LATIN AMERICA: American Hustle, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Devil’s Due, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, 47 Ronin … yes, all had opening within this wide berth of a market. Let’s start with American Hustle which had a wonderful opening in Argentina, tracking 40% above David O. Russell’s last film, Silver Linings Playbook. The Oscar Best Picture nominee grossed 350K in Argentina in 79 runs, $110K in Venezuela on 21 screens (performing 27% above Sony’s The Social Network) and fell only 38% in its sophomore weekend in Mexico to gross $585K on 453 screens for a market cume of $2M. Shadow Recruit opened with $183K this weekend in 65 locations, which is a 26% increase from last year’s Jack Reacher. Devil’s Due opened in Brazil in 167 play dates to bring in a total of $432K to contribute to its overall cume of $1.9M for the weekend or a $5.6M cume in 15 markets. (The horror pic also opened in Holland, UAE and Turkey). I, Frankenstein opened in Brazil to No.1 with $1.6M, Wolf of Wall Street was No. 2 with $1.9M; Frozen was third and Tarzan 3D was fourth in its second weekend ($3.7 cume in the market). 47 Ronin opened to No. 2 in Chile over The Secret Life of Walter Mitty from Fox which opened No. 3 (same as it did in the Phillipines this weekend). 47 Ronin chased in $242K in 51 theaters while Mitty grossed $161.8K in 55 runs. The fantasy-adventure picture starring Ben Stiller continues to do well in most its territories. In Brazil, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones continues its run in Mexico to take its market cume there up to $6.4M while in Brazil, it led among the holdovers adding another $423K to bring its cume to $4.8M. The Book Thief, which has performing well in its 23 markets, opens in Brazil next weekend, but has already pulled in $259,675 from four Latin American territories its first weekend out. Dallas Buyers Club, which launched in limited release in Columbia, will open throughout Latin America over the next two months.
AUSTRALIA: Wolf of Wall Street debuted to No. 1 here cashing in $4.4M in 228 screens; right behind it was Disney’s Frozen with $1.4M in its fifth week of release (it’s taken in $27.2M here). After it’s third week in play, The Book Thief is holding exceptionally well at No. 3 with a total weekend of $1.3M on 260 screens. The Australian market accounts for about $7.7M of its total $17M+ international cume. At No. 4 is Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones … in its debut … has found the majority of its business here with $1.2M from 203 play dates; the opening was 117% above The Devil Inside. The horror pic has taken in $50.5M to date in 41 territories. Saving Mr. Banks is No. 5 and has grossed $6.6M to date in its third week while Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit took in 869K from 238 locations in its sophomore weekend, dropping more than 50% from weekend to weekend Down Under. It’s cume to date is $3.4M. 12 Years a Slave will open in Australia on Jan. 30.
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